Sneak Peak of Tevan's XS2 Resto-Mod Cafe

I like it, A LOT.

Just wondering is the paint scheme is factory yamaha? Everything is so nice and round and then the bottom of the white stripe at the back of the tank has a sharp corner. To me it would look better if it were rounded off. Very nice looking though. I guess I,m to anal retentive.

rusty rocket said:

Just wondering is the paint scheme is factory yamaha? Everything is so nice and round and then the bottom of the white stripe at the back of the tank has a sharp corner. To me it would look better if it were rounded off. Very nice looking though. I guess I,m to anal retentive.

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Being a resto-mod, we aren't to concerned with it being a perfect factory example. We wanted to pay tribute to what the bike once was, while improving how it could be

Plus, I give my painter free reign - he paints the worlds rarest bikes - hes the painter for wheels thru time museum.

Pointy end to the stripes is factory correct for xs1/xs1b/xs2. Happens naturally where the strips of masking tape come together.

I like the resto-mod idea too though. If these bikes were originally perfect works of art or something I guess I'd understand the whole "It must be kept pure!" thing, but imo there's a lot they got right but plenty they got wrong too. I find the original seat and rear fender/light are a particularly poor looking part of the original design. Getting old doesn't change that, an object has to have been exceptionally beautiful or high quality in the first place for it to become a really sought after antique.

I think you're walking the right line with it. It's pretty much the hot rod/muscle car tradition. Keep it real, you know. You don't try to disguise your Mustang as a Ferrari. It's a Mustang and that should be obvious looking at it, but if you need to cut a huge hole in the hood to fit in that super charger, well heck yeah brake out the saw!

We tried to keep the original feel of the paint scheme. This bike was originally red/white - but we updated the color combo using a slightly deeper candy red and a softer white... It looks killer in person

This bike is awesome and there's some cool fab in it.....but I'm wondering.....why are you using those junk RFY Chinese rear shocks?!?

Does drilling holes in the rear brake hub improve performance, or is it just for looks?

Punkskalar said:

Sunday Slacker Magazine dropped in a while back, they got a nice sneak peak shot of this build while they were here...

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blackbetty said:

This bike is awesome and there's some cool fab in it.....but I'm wondering.....why are you using those junk RFY Chinese rear shocks?!?

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Tevan has been focusing on Fabwork - shocks can easily be swapped out. Plus, what kind of budget did you have when you were 19 years old? We've used them a few times, they are much better than 41 year old original shocks for sure...

Chi2 said:

Does drilling holes in the rear brake hub improve performance, or is it just for looks?

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Subject to debate - but I know for a fact that it doesn't hurt at all. Been running a drilled backing plate on several bikes for years with no negative side effects.

One could say it's "Lighter" - but not by enough to really matter. Still looks better than the OEM slab of alloy

Following this with great interest. You always build cool stuff. I take it Tevan is your son?

......aaaaahh..... beginning to make sense.......

Hugh,
What exhaust is that exactly?

willyguzzi53 said:

Following this with great interest. You always build cool stuff. I take it Tevan is your son?

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My son? No I treat him like family though. I'm not that old, but I do have a 4 month old daughter

When I started HHB in my Basement/Garage, his Grandfather was my neighbor. One day his Granddad came down to the shop and asked is Tevan could earn some side money working in the shop with me. I looked at this dopey 17 year old, and thought "Oh hell...." - but I did need some help cleaning up around the shop, staying organized, etc... So I hired him.

Turns out, that was the best thing HHB ever did. He's very sharp, a hard worker, and learns quick. He does almost all of our Lathe Machining now, handles inventory, and is a blessing to have in the shop every day. He's got a hell of a sense of humor, and is always making it interesting in the shop.



When he decided to start his own XS build, I found this 72 XS2 sitting in the kudzu at a friends place. A deal was struck, and Tevan had his first build.



Tevan rephased his own engine, rebuilding if from the bare cases himself. He's spent a TON of time building this bike. He's laced his own wheels, built his own exhaust (using BUB mufflers from a swap meet set of HD pipes) shaved and polished his own forks, built the swingarm brace, etc... I've guided him through alot of it of course, but this truly is Tevan's Bike...

He'll be 19 years old when he finishes this bike, how many 19 year old kids do you know with that kind of talent - or who have built their own bike? He's been on a pretty tight budget, with some help from HHB of course

I take him everywhere with me. Any event you are at where HHB is, Tevan will be there. So if you see us out and about, make him feel welcome, he's as much a part of Hugh's HandBuilt as I am at this point...

Aww....Man.... you made my day. No, scratch that, you made my Holiday Season. That is just a great story.... We knew you wuz good people, now we know even more....






Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kudzu, whatever zips you up.... Thank you!

Man, you made my day too! In this new world of televised biker buildoff hatefests, it is so damn refreshing to see a young guy wrenching with a smile. In that smile I can see heart and soul and, gasp, fun (and I'm sure a few lessons learned too, like all of us..)!!!

My hat is off to you, Hugh, and to Tevan too for being what is best about our craft!

This really did boost my holiday spirit

I would like to find a young guy and teach him what I know but kids nowdays aren't interested in learning how to weld poorly and misplace the wrench or bolt you just had in your hand about 2 minutes ago.

i can hardly wait to see this one done. i have a xs2 and it was my 1st xs. its the same color as tevan's. it's go'n under the knife again for a ground up custom rebuild. after i get done with the build off bike. nice work on urs tevan!

Frame is all cleaned up, and ready for powdercoat! Tevan is pretty stoked...

Did he cut the sleeves on the front down tubes?